“The activities of the commission for the delimitation and demarcation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border are not related to the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh," stated Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in an interview with Al Jazeera TV channel.
"The issue of Nagorno-Karabakh is in no way connected with the commission for the delimitation and demarcation of the border. We have formed different formats of communication with Azerbaijan, one of which concerns the issue of delimitation," Pashinyan said. He added that the Nagorno-Karabakh issue is the most important for achieving peace in the region.
In response to the journalist's remark that Moscow is more supportive of Baku in this process, the Prime Minister noted that Russia is a strategic partner and ally of Armenia. However, it also maintains very close relations with Azerbaijan. "And the role of Russia in this context, as we imagine it, is that it acts as a guarantor of a tripartite statement signed by the three countries' leaders," Pashinyan said. He said that the wording “corridor” is unacceptable for Armenia. "For us, this is a red line. According to the trilateral agreement, there is one corridor in our region - Lachin, connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia," Pashinyan said.
At the same time, he recalled that the tripartite statement contains a clause on opening transport communications. "We are ready for this and are already discussing this issue - based on bilateral sovereignty and respect for the principle of inviolability of borders," the Prime Minister stressed.
Commenting on the situation in Ukraine, the Prime Minister of Armenia said that Armenia is very concerned about the situation in Ukraine. “Armenia stands for the solution of all problems exclusively by peaceful means, through dialogue,” Pashinyan added.
Commenting on the impact of these events on the Armenian economy, Pashinyan noted that after the well-known events began in Ukraine, many Russians moved their businesses to Armenia. Armenia has a neutral economic zone, and besides, Armenia, like Russia, is a member of the Eurasian Economic Union. “In this situation, I hope we will be able to manage the economic situation,” Pashinyan said.
